Will Russia Succeed in Recovering the Wreckage of the U.S. Drone?

The U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) suggested today that Russia may attempt to recover the wreckage of the drone that fell after a Russian interception over the Black Sea, but it downplayed the likelihood of Moscow succeeding in that effort. Pentagon spokesman General Patrick Ryder stated, "We have indications that Russia is likely attempting to recover the wreckage of the MQ-9 drone... but it is highly unlikely in our estimation that they will be able to recover anything of value." An anonymous U.S. official reported that Russian ships were spotted near the area where the drone crashed, but it does not seem that they have been able to retrieve any parts of the drone's wreckage so far. It remains unclear whether the ships are still in the area.